Are you chatty with your neighbors? Get to know them over the garden fence or pop round with the latest neighborhood gossip? Some people are close to their neighbors, while others mostly keep to themselves. Whichever of these describes you, it’s a good idea to get to know your neighbors at least on a basic level to make your neighborhood a safer place to live in. Here are a few reasons why…

Spot suspicious activity

You should be able to recognize your neighbors, their vehicles, and the people who regularly come and go from their house. This way, if you notice someone skulking around someone’s house or a car that keeps driving back and forth, you’ll be able to tell if it’s just a neighbor or if it’s something more suspicious. You don’t want to accidentally call the police on your neighbor, but you should also be aware if a potential intruder is lurking around your neighborhood. Similarly, your neighbor can do the same for you if they notice anything suspect.

Watch each other’s properties

When going away for work or on vacation, it can be worrying to leave your house unoccupied. If you’re friendly with your next-door neighbor, then you can ask them to keep an eye on your house while you’re away. This could simply mean being aware of any threats to it, or it could involve visiting your house on a regular basis to make sure it looks lived in. For example, bringing in the mail so that it doesn’t pile up outside, leaving lights on periodically so it looks like someone is home, and even looking after your pets while you’re away.

Responding to home alarms

Professionally monitored alarms are great because it means the authorities can respond quickly if someone breaks into your home. However, if you don’t have a monitored security system, having a neighbor on hand to respond could be the next best thing while you’re away. If your neighbor knows that you’re out of town because you talk to each other about that kind of thing, then they’ll know to respond if they hear your house alarm go off. They can then call the police to address the problem and inform you, as well.

So, it helps to know your neighbors, but we’d also recommend installing a professionally monitored security system to make sure the right people are alerted when a security threat affects your home. Contact Carolina Alarm for better home security around Kernersville and Winston Salem.